iWatch hype begins

The tame Apple press is beginning its hype for the iWatch making outrageous assessments for how much profit the toy is going to make. One analyst has even claimed that Apple will sell 38 million of the watches in 2014.

It looks like Quanta and Inventec will split the orders in a 60:40 ratio. Appledaily website that means that 38 million of them will be selling next year, CIMB Securities analyst Wanli Wang suggested that it might ship more than 63 million units in the first year after its launch.

The idea is that a smart watch could connect to a user's phone and provide updates or information without needing them to consult their phone directly. But this assumes that people actually want a watch that does that and that Apple can claw back custom from Samsung, which is preparing to unveil its own "Gear" watch device on 4 September at the IFA event in Berlin, and Google, which is expected to put its head-worn "Glass" product into commercial production during 2014, having already begun "Explorer" trials with thousands of users in July.

Pebble Technology has already sold 85,000 of its Pebble watches at $150, after a crowdfunding campaign raised more than $10m. Word on the street is that the iWatch will sell for $149 and $199 but of course you would have to own an iPhone first. It is still a lot to spend when you could just take your phone out of your pocket.

It also has one other problem in that it will not sell to kids and teens who have grown up not wearing wrist watches. Watches are associated with their parents and grandparents and that is simply not cool.